Diocese Youth To Spearhead Hurricane Sandy Relief Effort

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Responding to the Diocesan Chancery's plea for assistance from Diocesan faithful in responding to the needs of those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, the National Jr. ACRY has set in motion a multi-faceted relief program. National Jr. ACRY President Tim Paproski and Sr. ACRY Vice-President and Junior Advisor Rachel Pribish have issued the following communique which outlines the relief effort program:

Rev. Fathers, Jr. ACRY Members & Advisors, and Diocesan Faithful,

Glory be to Jesus Christ!

As you all know, the East Coast was dealt a very strong blow with the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012. Many people are still without power. Some have lost their possessions, their homes, and even their loved ones. Many of our parishes and diocesan faithful went without power for days and had some damage due to the storm. As an Orthodox Christian organization, The National Jr. ACRY wants to do something to help those in need.

So we're asking for your help. What can you give to those in need in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and any others affected in the storm? We are asking for words of kindness and anything you can spare to make the life of someone who is struggling to return their life to normalcy after the storm. Although this is an endeavor being undertaken by the National Jr. ACRY, we encourage anyone who is able to participate. How can you help?

- Send a monetary donation that will be used to purchase needed items for shelters in affected areas.

- Send clothing to be donated.

- Send messages of hope and support through cards that can be distributed to those in shelters.

- Organize a drive in your local parish to put together Emergency Kits for the IOCC (For information: http://www.iocc.org/giftsofheart.aspx)

All donations can be sent to:

National Jr. ACRY

c/o Rachel Pribish668 S. Broad St.Elizabeth, NJ 07202

Any checks can be made out to National Jr. ACRY. We will post information about the collection and the progress being made on this project on the National Jr. ACRY Webpage (www.jracry.org) and our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/jracry). You can also direct any questions to me by contacting Rachel at sracry.vicepresident@gmail.com or (908)-247-2269.

We urge you to include this information in your bulletins and make it known throughout your parish community. Any local Jr. ACRY or diocesan members who are interested in distributing received items or volunteering their time can also contact Rachel using the information above. Please let either of us know if you have any questions. Donations should be received by November 28th, as we are hoping to distribute items on December 1st.